The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare

The Merry Wives of WindsorPerformed by the Weird Sisters Women’s Theater Collective August 7th – 9th, 2008 at the Vortex.

Windsor, Texas: 1957

Sir John Falstaff, frontman rock-n-roller of Falstaff and the Rascals, rolls into small-town Texas in a whirlwind of sex-scented trouble. Out of cash, he decides to pad his pockets by seducing the wives of two wealthy ranchers, Page and Ford. He sends Mistress Page and Mistress Ford identical love letters, but the friends discover his double dealing and set about turning the tables.

Falstaff’s followers, miffed at their missing paychecks, reveal Falstaff’s plan to Page and Ford. Page ignores them, but the jealous Frank Ford decides to test his wife’s fidelity. Pretending to be “Master Brook,” he pays Falstaff to seduce his wife on his behalf in order to catch them en flagrante.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the Pages’ luscious daughter Anne is pursued by three suitors. Mistress Page prefers the French physician, Doctor Caius, while Anne’s father favors Master Slender, a local worthy. (Slender is also championed by his uncle, Justice Shallow, and the Welsh parson, Hugh Evans.) Anne herself is in love with Master Fenton, a local boy who has burned through his daddy’s money. Each of Anne’s suitors looks to Mistress Quickly, Doctor Cauis’ tarty maid and Anne’s friend, for help.

The Host of the Garter Inn, the local hotel and pub, helps his friends in their tricks and plans his own against Caius and Hugh.

Good plots, they are laid–and they hatch in Windsor Park on a summer night.

Quickly’s Quick Notes on Lingo for Y’all

All of these things mean “Hey…someone is sleeping with your wife”:

  • cuckold
  • wittol
  • absolutely anything about an animal with horns (deer, buck, ox)

Windsor TXThe Players

  • Mistress Margaret Page: Leslie Guerrero
  • Master George Page, her husband: Penny Smith
  • Anne Page, their daughter: Melissa Johnson
  • Mistress Alice Ford: Christa French
  • Master Frank Ford, her husband: Vicki Yoder
  • Sir John Falstaff: Courtney Brown
  • Bardolph, Falstaff’s follower: Naminata Diabate
  • Pistol, Falstaff’s follower: Ally Curtis
  • Nym, Falstaff’s follower: Margaux Binder
  • The Host of the Garter Inn: Rachel Briles
  • Sir Hugh Evans, a Welsh parson: Lauren Bilbe
  • Doctor Caius, a French physician: Suzanne Julian
  • Mistress Quickly, his housekeeper: Hollie Baker
  • John Rugby, his servant: Amena Moinfar
  • Master Fenton: Martina Ohlhauser
  • Master Abraham Slender: Noelle Fitzsimmons
  • Robert Shallow, his uncle, a Justice: Chris Humphrey
  • Peter Simple, Slender’s servant: Brooks Louton

The Crew

  • Director: Susan Gayle Todd, Ph.D.
  • Girl Friday: Christa French
  • Stage Management: Brooks Louton, Amena Moinfar
  • Lighting Design: Paige Binder
  • Lighting Assistant: Eedann McCord
  • Sound Design: Chris Humphrey
  • Lighting and Sound Tech: Quanzi Villarreal
  • Stage Design: Mallory McKenney, Margaux Binder
  • Costumes: Lauren Bilbe, Ally Curtis, Melissa Johnson
  • Graphic Design: Ally Curtis